How to Organize Your Life

With the New Year coming up, now is the time to start thinking about new habits you want to start. Every year I want to try to get better at organization in all areas of my life. These are a few tips that I use to keep myself organized in my personal life and my career. I know many students are taking finals right now so these tips will also help students stay organized and help them study!

Tip #1: To-Do List

I always start my day by making a to-do list in order of priority. Having a to-do list in order of priority helps to keep you on track and get the most important things done first. I personally like to get the easiest things done on my to-do list first so I feel like I’ve accomplished something. This makes it easier to keep up my momentum and get the rest of the things done that I need to. Keeping your list short and realistic will also help you be more productive. If you plan to work on your to-do list for 4 hours, make sure your to-do list is realistic for those 4 hours. Don’t try to cram 8 hours worth of work into the day. Also, break down your tasks in intervals by setting a timer for how long you want to work on a task. This will help you focus on one task at a time and get things done faster and eliminate distractions.

Tip #2: Keep a Planner

At the beginning of the week, I write down all the things I have to do in my planner. I like to see my week at a glance and figure out all of the things I have to do. This helps me not only be less stressed, but it makes it easier to say “no” if I have a busy week. I always keep my planner in my purse so I can always look back if someone asks me to do something last minute. Chances are, if it’s not written in my planner, it means it’s not that important to me. Having a planner keeps you organized and helps you learn to value your own time. I always had problems being overcommitted to too many things at once. When I started keeping a planner, I made it a point to check it first before I agreed to taking on something else. This taught me to not let other people dictate my schedule. It forced me to dictate my own schedule.

Tip #3: Clean Your Workspace

I always make sure my areas are clean by putting first things first. As soon as I get home from work, I always make sure to put my shoes and clothes away. This helps to keep them looking fresh and from looking wrinkled. If you do this every day, it helps to keep things organized and decluttered and you won’t be overwhelmed by a big pile of clothes or shoes to clean up later.

Another tip is to clean a certain area of your room or home each day for a few minutes. I have recently started to do this and it has helped to keep my room cleaner. In the morning, I will spend a few minutes organizing my makeup or my closet. Again, this helps to keep your room or home from getting overwhelmingly cluttered requiring a large amount of time to clean later on.

Tip #4: Declutter Your Finances

Organizing my finances is another area that I try to get better at. For me, I knew I had a lot of subscriptions that I no longer used. I didn’t even realize how much of my money was going out the door on things I didn’t even use or realized I could live without. Try to find the areas that you spend the most money on and find where you can save.

I also realized that I spent a lot of money going out to eat. I started to pack a lunch to work and started cooking at home. Decluttering your finances will make you feel more in charge of your life. You won’t feel the need to check your bank account after a purchase because you will know if it’s in your budget or not. At the very least, it will make your more aware of your spending habits and where you need to make adjustments.

Tip #5: Simplify Wherever Possible

I hate feeling rushed in the morning so I make my morning process very simple and I do most of it the night before. Setting out your clothes the night before work or school will help you start your day feeling more organized. It will save you from wasting time trying to figure out what to wear. If you are anything like me, your brain take a while to make decisions in the morning. Also, try to pack a lunch the night before so it’s one less thing you have to do in the morning. This will save you both time and money. Having things ready to go the night before will start your day off the right way because you won’t be rushed. You’ll find that you enjoy your mornings more this way.

I hope these tips will help you organize your life and if you have any tips on how you organize, leave me a comment below and let me know. If you liked this blog and would like to know when I upload a new post, you can subscribe below. I also have a YouTube channel that I post to every Wednesday. I have my latest video posted below.